Toll roads are present throughout the United States, requiring travelers to pay a fee to travel on the highway. The vast majority of such toll roads employ Electronic Toll Collection (“ETC”) technology that allows travelers to pass through automatic gates without coming to a complete stop to pay the required fee. The automatic gates operate by communicating with a transponder by way of a reader, where the transponder is typically mounted on a vehicle's windshield. Each transponder is connected to an owner's prepaid account. The account is debited the toll amount with each passage through an automatic tollgate. Most current ETC systems rely on radio-frequency identification, where an antenna at the toll gate communicates with the transponder on the vehicle via Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC). RFID tags have proved to have excellent accuracy for this purpose, and can be read at highway speeds.
ETC systems facilitate the flow of traffic by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop and pay the toll directly to a toll collector or a machine.
Vehicles displaying an active transponder that is enrolled with the ETC system can pass through an automatic tollgate without coming to a complete stop. The toll is automatically charged to the account holder so that no payment need be made onsite to a human toll collector or a machine. As a result traffic is able to flow continuously without unnecessary delay.
The introduction of ETC technology has successfully managed the flow of traffic for cars and trucks alike. However, the transponder has been proven to be ineffective for use on motorcycles. Motorcycles are rarely equipped with the glass windshield necessary to mount the transponder and allow communication to the ETC readers. If the transponder were to be mounted to the motorcycle, the owner would be unable to leave the motorcycle unattended without risk of theft of the transponder. In addition, mounting a device such as a transponder with affixed braces or permanent adhesives causes irreversible damage to motorcycle paint and chrome finishes. As a result, motorcycle operators tend to not use transponders in ETC system and therefore are required to stop at traditional tollgates whereupon they must retrieve the toll amount due from their pocket or other compartment. The problem and delay in traffic flow is heightened when two or more motorcycles travel together. This situation requires the motorcycles to pass one at a time, causing the first riders in line to pullover to the side of the road and wait for their party. Driving a motorcycle on and off the shoulder on a fast-paced highway presents dangers and foreseeable risks to the safety of all travelers.